Method of assembling radiators



Sept 25, 1945 E. v. RIPPINGILLE METHOD OF ASSEMBLING RADIATORS Filed Feb. 24, 1944 Patented Sept. 25, 1945 METHOD F AssEMBLlNG RADIA'rons EdwardV. Rippingille, Detroit, Mich., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation oi' Delaware Application February 24, 1944, Serial No. 523,764

3 Claims.

rI'his invention relates generally to radiators and more particularly to an improved assembly of parts whereby sturdy and leakproof mechanical joints are formed without the use of attachment bolts or rivets. sealing and joining cement,

(Cl. {t9-157.3)

"f leakproof perfomance through a wide range of radiator operating temperatures it will be helpful if the material of the tubes and header plates have a like coefficient of expansion.

For a tight bond between the peripheral sursolder or the like, and which furthermore makes faces Of the header plates 2 and 3 and lille er1- more feasible the conjoint use of some parts of circling end bands 0f the tank Shell 5 it iS Drometal and others of molded plastic material. posed that the external diameter of the headers In the preferred embodiment to be described be made initially slightly larger than the internal the invention is applied to the manufacture of diameter of the bands 4 and 5. To enable the heat exchangers having plastic tube headers preassembled core to be introduced into the shell snugly tted to a housing shell by a constriction and to insure tight contraction of the bands on the of the opposite ends thereof after first having thickened peripheral rlInS 0f the headers 1t iS temporarily enlarged shell end bands by the Proposed t0 enlarge temporarily the diameter 0f application of heat from an induction heater the bands by the epplieation thereto 0f heat- Whereby the expansion with heat enables the Rapid localized heat with electrical induction headers to be introduced within the shell and equipment le especially adapted to the operation then clamped as the bands cool and contract and accordingly Figures l end 2 ShOW induction tightly on the tube headers, heater units 9 and I0 positioned adjacent or in In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a 20 proximity to the respective bands 4 and 5. The vertical section of a radiator core assembly and designA and dimenSlOnS 0f the Darts may be C011- tank shell prior to flue] assembly; Figure 2 is e, trolled so that a band temperature of about vertical sectional view in the iinal assembly rela- 400 F Wlll afford an expansion just Sufficient tion and Figure 3 isV an enlarged detail section t0 leCelVe the heeder rlInS- The SUrrOllndinS lnof the nal assembly as viewed on line 3-3 of 25 ductol Coll preferably 1S e Split ring ln Circuit Figure 2. with a high frequency current source and is hol- Referring to the drawing the reference charlOWVl'OI the Passage 0f Cooling liquid t0 Prevent acter I indicates a series of spaced tubes secured excessive temperature 111 COIltlDiled USeat opposite ends in header plates 2 and 3 to be Current een be Supplied t0 the induction heetshrlnk fitted to seating portions or bands 4 and 5 30 ers 9 and I0 either-successively Or Simultaneformed by the reduced ends of the shell 6 encom- OliSly- After the bend 4 has been temporarily passing and housing the tubes 1n use the exenlarged and the header 3 entered into the shell change of heat is between fluid passing through beyond the bend 4, es illustrated by dotted lines the interiors o! the several tubes and another :duid ln Figure 1, the enlargement ef both bends 4 and flowing extorioriy of the tube walls within the 5 Permits the @Ore t0 be DOSltiOned in thenal housing B and between inlet and outlet fittings assembly relation with the headers 2 and 3 aligned 1 and 8. It is proposed that the heat exchange with the bands as Shown in Flgll'e 2- Wlth the tubes be formed of metal, Such as copper or discontinuance of the heating operation the aluminum, and that the headers be of a molded bands are cooled and shrink to tight fit with the plastic o1' either the thermoplastic or the thermo- 40 peripheral Sulffeces 0f the header TimS- Eeell setting types with the outer shell of steel or other metal band Wlll thus be undef tellSlOn and hold suitable metal, the plastic member under compression. To in- The end headers 2 and 3 can be molded about ure a mm clamping action either or bqth the the tube ends but in the absence of Special equ1p internal surfaces of the bands and the peripheral ment for that purpose the headers can be molded surfaces of the plasma header Should be .rough' Separately with spaced tube receiving Openings ened or contain circumferential corrugations or therethrough and later the tube ends may be serrations in the manner illustrated 1n the drawpress iitted, cemented or otherwise mounted in I'claim. the end plates. Optionally the tube ends may be chilled for contracting or reducing their diameters just prior to assembly and then after being press iitted in the headers and brought back to room temperature their growth will insure a leakprool' joint. For thoroughly satisfactory 1. The method of manufacturing radiators or the like, including forming a tubular shell with a central bulge and reduced end portions, forming a tube bundle core with molded hard plastic headers at opposite ends and of slightly greater shell end portions to which the diameter than the headers are to be tted, inductively heating said reduced end portions to temporarily enlarge the same suiiiciently to receive the larger diameter headers and axially moving the tube bundle and header assembly into the shell while said end portions are temporarily enlarged for subsequent contraction of both end portions into shrink lt with both headers.

2. The methodI of assembling heat exchangers or-the like comprising forming the core with spaced headers and forming the whousing with correspondingly spaced header engaging bands of slightly smaller internal diameter than the external diameter of the headers, applying heat to one of the bands to temporarily enlarge the same, passing one of the headers through the enlarged band to bring both headers into proximity to the bands, respectively, then applying heat to both bands to enlarge them, adjusting the core and housiig to place both headers inside the enlarged bands respectively and thereafter discontinuing the application of heat toenable the bands to shrink on the headers.. a

3. The method of assembling radiators or the like, including forming a core with a pair of axially spaced molded hard plastic headers having thickened rims and spaced tubes joined at oppcsite ends to said headers, forming a tubular the central bulge of the shell, thereafter applying heat to both reduced diameter end ban'ds to temporarily enlarge the same and again adjusting the core and shell to enter both headers into the temporarily enlarged bands and then discontinuing the application of heat while the headers are maintained within the bands to cause both bands to cool into tight engagement with the thickened of headers.

rims of the pair v 'EDWARD V. RIPPINGIILE. 

